Haiti v Scotland preview and prediction

Haiti is making its World Cup debut and hopes to spring a surprise straight away in Group C, whilst Scotland is returning to the world stage for the first time since 1998. And that is why the Scots will be keen to seize this opportunity with both hands. On Saturday night into Sunday morning, this fixture is clearly one for the early risers. In this Haiti v Scotland preview, we take a closer look at both teams: can the World Cup newcomers pull off an upset, or will the experienced Scottish side come out on top after ninety minutes of football?

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Haiti v Scotland preview

Haiti is set to make history at the 2026 World Cup. Currently ranked 83rd in the FIFA rankings, the team is making its debut at the World Cup and is keen to show straight away that it is not there just for the sake of it. Head coach Sébastien Migné has a squad with plenty of experience, led by top scorer Duckens Nazon and striker Frantzdy Pierrot, whose physical strength makes him a key asset in attack. Will the World Cup debutants spring a surprise by perhaps picking up a point in their opening match?

It goes without saying that Scotland are the favourites going into this match. Manager Steve Clarke’s side currently sit 44th in the FIFA rankings and are returning to the world’s biggest football stage after missing out on six World Cups. They will be relying, among other things, on the experience of captain Andy Robertson, whilst Scott McTominay and John McGinn are among the absolute stalwarts of the Scottish squad. It’s no coincidence that McGinn won the Europa League with Aston Villa just a month ago. Will the Tartan Army make a successful return to the World Cup? And will this be rewarded with three valuable points?

Haiti v Scotland prediction

A look at the 2022 World Cup shows that many matches ended in a 1-0 scoreline. Given Haiti’s defensive style of play, this match could well turn out to be a low-scoring affair. This is also because Scotland are a team that generally react to the flow of the game rather than taking the initiative themselves. We therefore expect a somewhat tame match with no more than two goals. The odds for under 2.5 goals are 1.92.

Haiti v Scotland odds

The man in form for Scotland is none other than Lawrence Shankland. Following a magnificent season at Hearts FC, where he scored 16 goals in 29 matches, he is also in fine form for the Scottish national team. In Scotland’s last two friendlies, the future Celtic striker found the net no fewer than three times. We reckon the 30-year-old striker will score at least once during Haiti v Scotland, a bet that will net you odds of 2.28. Will he be substituted during the match? If so, you can take advantage of the Lucky Sub!

Haiti v Scotland: predicted line-ups

Below are the predicted line-ups for both teams:

Haiti (4-4-2): Placide, Experience, Delcroix, Ade, Arcus, Providence, Jacques, Bellegarde, Deedson, Isidor, Nazon

Scotland (5-4-1): Gunn, Robertson, McKenna, Ferguson, Hendry, Hickey, McGinn, Christie, McTominay, Doak, Shankland